Reginald Wayne was born on November 17, 1978. He is an American professional football coach and former wide receiver who played 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Colts. Wayne played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was chosen by the Colts in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft with the 30th overall pick. He earned Pro Bowl honors six times and was part of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI team, which defeated the Chicago Bears. Wayne ranks second in the Colts' franchise history to Marvin Harrison in key receiving categories: receptions, receiving yards, targets, and receiving touchdowns. On December 14, 2014, Wayne played in his 209th game and his 142nd win as a Colt, breaking the franchise records previously held by Peyton Manning.

Early life

Wayne is the youngest of three brothers. His father, Ralph, played football as a linebacker for Grambling State. Ralph was a fan of the New Orleans Saints when he was young, but he liked baseball more as a child. He decided to play football when he went to John Ehret High School.

College career

Wayne attended the University of Miami, where he played for four years as a starting player for the Hurricanes. He set a school record with 173 career catches, including 36 consecutive games with at least one reception. He is one of only five wide receivers in school history to score 20 or more touchdowns in their careers, along with Michael Irvin, Lamar Thomas, Leonard Hankerson, and Andre Johnson. During the 1997 season, Wayne made 48 receptions, a record for freshmen that still holds today. He also participated in track and field at the University of Miami, where he achieved a personal best time of 21.87 seconds in the 200 meters. Wayne graduated with a degree in liberal arts; his roommate was Ed Reed, who later played as a safety for the Baltimore Ravens. While at the University of Miami, he was teammates with Edgerrin James, who later played for the Indianapolis Colts. Wayne was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame during their 43rd Annual Induction Banquet on March 24, 2011.

Professional career

Wayne was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts as the 30th pick in the 2001 NFL draft. He was the sixth wide receiver selected in a draft that included eight future players who made the Pro Bowl at that position. He was expected to help support the Colts' other star receiver, Marvin Harrison. He played all 211 games of his career for the Colts.

Wayne made his NFL debut in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. He caught his first NFL pass in Week 4 against the Oakland Raiders. As a rookie, he caught 27 passes for 345 yards. He started nine games and missed three games due to a high ankle sprain.

In Week 3, against the Houston Texans, Wayne scored his first NFL touchdown on a 43-yard reception from Peyton Manning. In Week 10, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had six receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown in the 35–13 win, his first game with over 100 yards. In Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, he had five receptions for 103 yards. In Week 16 against the New York Giants, he had six receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. In his second NFL season, Wayne caught 49 passes for 716 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games and seven starts.

In Week 3 of the 2003 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Wayne had ten receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the 23–13 win. In Week 8, in a 30–21 victory over the Houston Texans, he had two receiving touchdowns. In Week 11, against the New York Jets, he had nine receptions for 141 yards in the 38–14 win. In the 2003

Post-playing career

On November 18, 2018, Wayne was honored with a special award called the Ring of Honor, becoming the 15th player to receive it. Former teammates, including Marvin Harrison, Manning, and Saturday, attended the ceremony. On January 2, 2020, Wayne was chosen as one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He and Troy Polamalu, a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, were the only two finalists in 2020 who were nominated during their first year of being eligible. As of 2021, Wayne had been nominated four times for the Pro Football Hall of Fame but had not yet been selected.

For the 2021 NFL draft, Wayne worked with Bleacher Report as an expert on wide receivers. He praised the New York Giants for selecting Kadarius Toney in the first round. Wayne compared Toney to Percy Harvin and said Toney was the strongest wide receiver in the draft.

On April 30, 2018, the Indianapolis Colts announced that Wayne would return to the team as a volunteer receivers coach. On March 14, 2022, Wayne was officially hired as the wide receivers coach for the Colts, joining head coach Frank Reich’s staff. After Reich was fired, Wayne kept his position as wide receivers coach when Shane Steichen became the new head coach in February 2023.

Personal life

In 2012, a hotel valet took a luxury car without permission from an Indianapolis hotel where Wayne had left his vehicle. The valet was arrested outside the car and had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent.